The festival of Makar Sankranti that marks the first day of Sun's transit into the Makar or Capricorn and heralds the start of longer days will be celebrated on January 14. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, the kite festival is also celebrated on this day.

Many
will be celebrating the festival by flying kites to enjoy and get
some winter sun. The enthusiasts will get outdoors or go to rooftops
in early hours to feel the warmth of the morning sun and make their
kites soar high. I follow the tradition of making the kites with my
own hands. I have made a red and a blue kite and had a small trial of
flying. Now, I will fly it on the morning of January 14.

In
Focus

However,
it is the solar festival, known by different names such as Pongal in
Tamil Nadu, Pedda Panduga in Andhra Pradesh, Bihu in Assam, Magha
Mela in parts of central and north India, and Makar Sankranti in the
western India. In north India, the sweets from sesame or 'til' and
jaggery or 'gur' are eaten to get warm.

The
festival is associated with religious and spiritual practices. People
worship the Sun God and take a holy dip in rivers, especially Ganga,
Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. Where rivers are not around,
believers take a dip in sacred tanks and lakes to absolve themselves
of past sins and make a fresh pious beginning for peace, progress and
prosperity. They also pray to the Sun God to express gratitude for
their successes and prosperity.